As is well known, metallic and composite structures mounted upon the exterior of ships, aircraft, and other objects subject to the environment can experience significant degradation and damage due to their exposure to erosion-corrosion attack. In this regard, such structures are constantly subjected to oxidation, moisture, erosion, fouling, salt spray, wear, ultraviolet radiation, impact, high/low temperatures, and chemicals, among other things, that can cause such structures to experience significant degradation and damage over time. As a consequence, such structural components must be constantly repaired or replaced to thus prevent the possibility that a given vessel or aircraft will be damaged permanently, if not destroyed.
In an attempt to prevent damage to a substrate caused by its exposure to the environment, a variety of coating agents and methods of applying the same to such components have been developed to improve the durability of the substrate and coating. To this end, liquid crystal polymer coatings (LCP coatings) have been utilized. In this regard, LCPs have been coated on substrates via spraying. However, merely spraying LCPs onto a substrate without preheating the substrate to maintain the liquid crystal polymer in a plastic state upon contact thereon will form a LCP coating with voids contained therein. Additionally, merely spraying LCPs onto a substrate without preheating the substrate to maintain the liquid crystal polymer in a plastic state upon contact thereon will reduce the adhesion between the substrate and the LCP coating. In relation to the voids, the same reduces the effectiveness of the coatings barrier properties. Additionally, the voids behave as starting points for cracks that may propagate due to foreign object impact from the environment. As such, voids in the layer of liquid crystal polymer reduce the life of the protective coating.
Another method of applying a liquid crystal polymer is to bond a film of the polymer onto the substrate. However, in general, the liquid crystal polymer film is not useful for bonding onto contoured surfaces because the film is not stretchable. Furthermore, film form of liquid crystal polymers have long chain molecules in orderly arrangement.